Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan Monday cautioned the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) officers that they should keep their ‘guard up’ as the challenges facing the nation ‘are not over yet’, according to a statement issued by the PAF media wing. “The challenges are not over yet and we should keep our guards up and always be ready to respond to any aggression from the adversary,” the air chief cautioned the personnel during his visit to forward operating air bases of the Pakistan Air Force.
“The entire nation is proud of PAF which did exceptionally well in safeguarding the sovereignty of our country in the recent conflict with the enemy,” he said in his meetings with the combat and ground crew, air defence and engineering personnel, security troops and the civilian staff. Interacting with the personnel, the PAF chief lauded the high level of motivation and sound professionalism displayed by the personnel during recent air operations against the enemy. “We bow our heads in complete humility and express our gratitude to Almighty Allah for giving us strength to come up to the expectations of our resilient nation,” he further said.
Tensions between Pakistan and India escalated rapidly following a suicide car bombing on Feb 14 that killed at least 40 Indian paramilitary police in Indian-held Kashmir. India accused Pakistan of harbouring the Jaish-e Mohammad group behind the attack, which Islamabad vehemently denied. Indian warplanes last week carried out airstrikes inside Pakistan on what New Delhi called militant camps. Islamabad denied any such camps existed, as did local villagers in the area, and a day later Pakistan Air Force retaliated with its own aerial mission, that led to Pakistan shooting down two Indian jets and capturing an Indian Air Force, pilot who was later handed over to New Delhi as a ‘gesture of peace’.
Published in Daily Times, March 5th 2019.
